DHAKA, May 5, 2020 (BSS) – Bangladesh today registered the highest number of 786 fresh positive cases from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in a single day and one more death overnight.
However, the recovery count rose to 1,403 in the same period after a record 193 patients were discharged from hospitals, health officials said.
“As many as 786 people tested positive for COVID-19 from 5,711 samples in the last 24 hours, taking the tally of infections to10,929,” DGHS Additional Director General (administration) Prof Nasima Sultana told a virtual media briefing at the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) in the city.
Nasima said the number of fatalities has declined significantly during the time as one COVID-19 patient died, increasing the death toll from the pandemic to 183.
“The lone victim of the lethal virus in the period is a day labourer aged between 21 to 30 and he is a resident of Dinajpur,” she said.
Bangladesh confirmed the first coronavirus death on March 18, ten days after the detection of the first COVID-19 cases.
Among the recovered patients, over 1,000 patients were cured in Dhaka division and remaining patients in seven divisions in the country, the health official said.
Among the COVID-19-infected cases, nearly 75 percent patients are taking treatment from their homes, and many of them are being cured every day after receiving treatment through hotlines, Nasima added.
She said another physician Colonel (retd) Professor Dr Moniruzzaman, the head of hematology department of Anwer Khan Modern Medical College Hospital, died of coronavirus yesterday.
Bangladesh reported first death of a physician – Dr Md Moyeen Uddin, an assistant professor of Medicine at the Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital- on April 15.
As of today (May 5), of the total fatalities, 98 deaths were recorded in Dhaka city and 40 in Narayanganj district.
Of the total 183 deaths, 138 took place in Dhaka division and rests are in other seven divisions, the health official added.
Nasima said COVID-19 cases were found in 63 out of 64 districts, meaning that almost all regions of the country are now risky for the fatal disease. “No coronavirus positive case is yet to be reported in Rangamati district,” she said.
The health official dubbed Dhaka and Narayanganj COVID-19 as “hotspots” as the maximum number of cases were detected in the two cities.
As of May 4, Dhaka city has been considered as the worst-affected with 57.36 percent of COVID cases, while Dhaka division has remained at the top position with 83.31 percent infected cases out of total coronavirus patients, according to Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).
Of the total infections, 6,943 cases were reported in Dhaka division, 369 cases in Chattogram division, 316 cases in Mymensingh division, 150 cases in Khulna division, 130 cases in Barishal division, 180 cases in Rangpur division, 139 cases in Sylhet division and 115 cases in Rajshahi division, it added.
Among the 63 COVID-19-prone districts, Narayanganj is the most hardest-hit one with 1021 cases, according to the IEDCR data.
It is followed by Gazipur with 325 positive cases, Kishoreganj with 202 cases, Narsingdi with 154 cases, Mymensingh with 166 cases, Dhaka district with 115 cases, Munshiganj with 127 cases, Madaripur with 47 cases, Chattogram with 82 cases, Gopalganj with 47, Laksmipur with 43 cases, Cox’s Bazar with 37 cases, Barishal with 41 cases, Jashore with 63 cases, Habiganj with 69 cases, Cumilla with 105 cases, Jamalpur with 73 cases, Netrokona with 51 cases and Brahmanbaria with 55 cases.
According to the age-group, 80 percent COVID-19 cases are in their 60s, 13 percent in their 50s, 18 percent in their 40s, 24 percent in their 30s, 26 percent in their 20s while 8 is above 10 years and 3 percent below 10 years, Nasima added.
According to the gender-based calculation of COVID-infected cases, 68 percent are male and 32 percent female, she said.
The health official said a total of 93,037 samples have so far been tested since the detection of the first COVID-19 cases in the country, adding currently tests are being conducted at 33 labs in the country.
She informed that Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University has handed over two PCR labs to Sheikh Hasina Medical College in Jamalpur and Chattogram Medical College and Hospital.
“We’re expecting that these two hospitals will start sample test of COVID-19 within one or two days,” Nasima added.
As coronavirus outbreak is on the rising trend in the country, the health official said, the government is expanding testing facilities across the country with joint initiatives of government, non-government organizations, universities, state-run research institutes and private hospitals to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
These organizations are extending their cooperation to government to test samples of more suspected COVID-19 patients, which will help stem the spread of the disease, she said.
Among them, Nasima said, some institutions are providing necessary support including donating PCR labs and other equipment to different hospitals for expediting testing activities in the country.
The DGHS said the government has given approval to three more private hospitals – Evercare Hospital Dhaka, Square Hospital Limited and United Hospital Limited – for performing COVID-19 tests.
These hospitals have been given permission to conduct coronavirus tests for their admitted patients only, it said.
A total of 1,99,811 people were kept at both home and institutional quarantine and 1,56,689 people were released from quarantine, while the number of people who are now in quarantine is 41,122.
According to the DGHS, a total of 615 institutions have been prepared across the country for keeping over 30,955 people in quarantine, adding nearly 1,636 people have now been kept in isolation.
The health service organization said as part of taking preventative measures to stop imported cases of COVID-19, the authorities of all gateways, including airports, land ports and waterways, are continuing screening of all foreign returnees.
It said the government has collected 19, 30,254 PPE so far, of which over 15,49,482 were distributed and 3,80,792 are in stock.
There are 9738 isolation beds in the country and 3944 of them are in Dhaka city.
The DGHS said in case of critical COVID-19 patients, special facilities including oxygen, ICU and dialysis units are needed in hospitals. At present, the country has 341 ICUs and 102 dialysis units, it added.
The DGHS sources said till today, nearly 40,45,007 people received healthcare services from hotline mobile numbers and health web portals as the government formed a group of medical professionals to provide emergency health services.
The contact hotline and mobile numbers are 16263; 333; 10655 and 01944333222 – to receive information and treatment facilities on COVID-19.
As of May 5, 2020, 10.59 GMT, 252,758 people have died so far from the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak and there are 3,663,760 currently confirmed cases in 212 countries and territories, according to Worldometer, a reference website that provides counters and real-time statistics for diverse topics.
China was the world’s first country which on January 11 reported the first death from the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, the capital of Central China’s Hubei province.